Birds Of A Feather

PROLOGUE

I looked down while I sat there dangling my feet from the bridge's iron railing, and felt the cold breeze caress my face.

"Do you want my jacket?" I asked her.

Without an answer, Violette continued to look up at the stars. I could tell she was cold by the way her lips quivered.

"You know—they'll be gone too one day"

She slowly turned her head towards me and I looked at her sorrow-filled eyes, red and tired from this cold joyless night. "The stars," I continued. "The ones you see now will eventually burn out... they'll cease to exist." 

Covering her with my jacket, I brought her into me and she placed her head on my shoulder. "Not even they can last forever."

We stayed on the bridge for a few minutes before we got down from the railing and started walking down towards the garden.

"Would you like to stay over tonight?" These are the first words she says after not speaking for what felt like an eternity. "I haven't made many friends since I got here and—well, I'm not sure I want to be alone tonight."

She doesn't even look at me as she speaks. Does she feel ashamed?

"Sure," I said.